Tire spreader



Feb 9, 1

E. BRANI C TIRE S ADER I 2 Sheets-S 1 Filed Jar 1. 17, 1938 Feb. 9,1943.

c. ,E. BR ANICK "2,310,891

TIRE SPREADER I Ell ed Jan. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 9,1943 L UNITED STATES PATENT OF F il C E 11 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in tire spreaders where it isdesigned to provide an apparatus for spreading a tire casing and forsup-- porting the same in spread position so that the inside of thecasing may be examined or repaired.

Tire spreading devices have been in use for several years. Thesespreaders are of various types and operate in various ways. Most of theformer types of tire spreaders are very complicated in construction andcostly to manufacture. Furthermore, most previous types of tirespreaders have been bulky and have required a considerable amount offloor space for operation.

t is the object of the present invention to provide a tire spreaderconstructed in a simple manner and which may be sold at a low cost. Thisspreader requires asmall amount of floor space and may be operatedautomatically by air or fluid pressure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple standhaving pairs of hooks which engage opposite sides of the tire casing,which hooks may be spread apart to flex the casing into position wherethe inner surface of the same may be inspected. While hooks of this typehave previously been employed, the manner in which the hooks are mountedis believed novel.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a constructionembodying two sets of hooks engaging opposite sides of a tire casing,one set of which remains stationary and the other set of which is movedaway from the stationary hooks to spread the tire. By this constructionit is only necessary to move one set of the hooks, simplifying theconstruction and making the same less expensive.

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a constructionwherein the tire rests upon supports which are telescopically arrangedso that the casing may move with respect to the hooks while beingspread. In this way there is no tendency for the casing to bind whilebeing spread, even though the same is supported while being spread. Thismeans enables tires of various sizes to be spread by the same hookswithout the necessity of using care in properly positioning the casingon the supporting means before the spreading action.

It is a further feature of my invention to provide a means of liftingthe tire into place upon the spreader without the necessity of liftingthe same vertically into place. By this construction it is possible forone man to lift tires which would be too heavy for him to handleotherwise.

These and other objects andnovel features of.

my invention will be more clearly and fully-set forth in the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawingsforming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine showing a tire in spreadposition thereupon.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my machine taken from a slightlydiiferent angle.

Figure 3 is a perspective rear view of my machine.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the spreading cylinder takenon a transverse plane centrally through the same.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through one of the adjustable postssupporting the spreading hooks.

Figure 6 is a perspective detail view of the swivel connection betweenthe telescoping tire lift.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the parts in a differentposition.

My tire spreader A is designed to'support the tire B or the like inorder to spread the same for inspection or repair as illustrated inFigures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings. The spreader A includes a frame 10which comprises in preferred form a pair of short tubular front legs IIheld in spaced relationship extending vertically and parallel by meansof the angle iron [2. A pair of tubular posts I3 extend upwardly fromthe angle iron l2 in spaced parallel relationship and are held in properrelative position by cross bars or arms 14. The upper ends of the posts[3 are open and accommodate the shanks l5 of bearings 16. The bearingsl6 are formed of tubular material flattened together and drilled toaccommodate the ends ll of hooks I9, which extend therethrough. Thehooks [9 are connected by a cross bar 20, and the ends I! thereof turnoutwardly in alignment to extend through the aligned openings throughthe end bearings I6.

A bar or strip of metal or the like 2| connects the bearings l6 andholds these bearin s from turning within the posts 13 and also causesthese members to move in unison. The strips or bars 2| also serve thefunction of providing a rest against which the hooks l9 engage when thehooks are disengaged from the tire and swing back free of the tire B.

The posts I3 are connected to vertical rear supports 22 by means oflongitudinally extending frame members 23 and 24. The longitudinallyextending framemembers 23 merely connect the posts l3 and the verticalsupports 22, but the members 24 extend beyond-the vertical supports 23and are connected together at the end by means of a cross member 25.This cross member 25 acts to limit the spreading action in a mannerwhich will be later seen more clearly. The lower extremities of thevertical supports 22 are connected by a cross strip 26 which lies uponthe floor and holds these vertical members in spaced relationship.

A pair of posts or arms 21 are pivotally secured at 29 to the verticalsupports 22 near the lower end of the same. These posts are formedsimilarly to the posts I3 and are provided with bearings 30 identical tothe bearings l6 having shanks 30 similar to shanks l5 for pivotallysupporting the hooks 3|, which are connected to operate in unison by thecross member 32. The shanks 30 of the bearings 3|] are verticallyadjustable within the posts 21. The bearings 30 are connected by a,cross strip 33 so that these bearings will move in unison, will notrotate, and will form a support for the hooks 3| indisengaged positionof the same.

The posts 2? are held in spaced relationship by parallel cross bars 34.These cross members 3 1 are connected-by vertical fins 35, as seen inFigure 3 of the drawings, and the end 36 01' the piston rod 3? ispivoted on the pin 39 between the fins and is held in position bysleeves 43 encircling the pin 39. The piston rod 37 extends through theend 4| of the cylinder 42 and is connected to a piston 43 therein. Theend 44 of the cylinder 42 opposite the end 4| is provided with an inlet45 equipped with a valve 43 by means of which air or fluid underpressure may be introduced into the cylinder 42 for forcing the piston43 to the left, as viewed in Figure 4 of the drawings. By properoperation of the valve 46, the air or liquid may be exhausted from thecylinder 42 when it is desired to move the piston 43 to the right. Acoil spring 41 is connected between the angle iron l2 and one of thecross members 35, and this spring tends to urge the piston toward theright end of the cylinder 42 as seen in Figure 4.

The cylinder 42 is pivoted at 43 to vertical spacers connecting thecross members I4. Thus the cylinder and piston rod are pivotallyconnected between the pair of posts l3 and the pivoted pair of posts 21.By operation of the valve 53 to force air into the cylinder 42; the rod3? is forced from the cylinder, spreading the upper ends of the posts 21from the upper ends of the posts ii. The hooks 3| are thus moved awayfrom the hooks l9, so that when these hooks are in position to engagethe beads or opposite edges of the casing B, these edges will be spreadapart by action of the cylinder 42.

Lugs 5| extend outwardly from oppositely disposed sides of the posts I3near the top of the same, and lugs 52 extend outwardly from the posts27. Elongated rods or arms 53 are connected to the lugs 5| and extendthrough openings 54 in the lugs 52. Sleeves 55 are rotatably mountedupon the rods 53 for-engagement with the outer surface of the casing B.As the sleeves 55 may rotate or move longitudinally with respect to therods 53, any separating movement between the posts 2'! and |3 is nottransmitted to the casing B, which may assume proper position betweenthe hooks l9 and 3|.- j j Near the posts i3 I provide a transverselyextending arm 56 welded to the frame members 24 which projects beyondthe posts l3 in a lateral direction. To oneend or the otherof this arm53, I pivotally secure by means of a bolt 51 or the like, an anglebracket 59. The bracket 59 is pivoted by the bolt 60 or the like to theshort arm 6| which in turn is integral with a sleeve 62. The sleeve 62encircles a rod or tube 63 in a manner to permit longitudinal movementof the member 33 with respect to the sleeve 62. At the extreme end ofthe rod 63, I provide a substantially rectangular loop handle 64.

When the lift just described is not in use, it is ordinarily pivotedinto the position illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, wherein therod or tube 33 extends down into the open upper end of one tubular legWhen it is desired to use this lift, however, the rod 63 is slidablymoved upwardly within the sleeve 62 and the angle bracket 59 is pivotedwith respect to the arm 56 until the arm 63 may be moved down asillustrated in Figures 1 and 3, until the handle 54 engages the surfaceof the floor. The tire may be rolled upon this telescoping support intoposition upon the sleeves 55, the plate 66 on the sleeve 62 forming aplatform to simplify this action. If desired, this lift may be used as alever, and pivoted upwardly about the bolt 60 to assist in moving thetire B into'proper position.

The operation of my spreader is believed clearly apparent from theforegoing description. The tire B is lifted into place with theassistance of the telescoping lift, and the casing is held in verticalposition while the hooks I9 and 3| are pivoted into engagement with theopposed sides of the casing. The valve 46 is then operated to permitcompressed air or fluid to fiow into the cylinder 2, forcing the piston43 toward the end 4| thereof, and pivoting the posts 21 about the pivot29, thus spreading the upper ends of these posts apart and spacing thehooks 3| from the hooks 63. When the spread portion of the tire has beenrepaired or inspected, the tire may be permitted to assume normalposition by operating thevalve 46 to release the air or fluid from thecylinder 42, whereupon the spring 41 pulls the posts 21 into thevertical position.

I have stated that the arm 56 projects beyond the posts i3 in a lateraldirection. This construction enables me to pivot' the angle bracket 59to either end of this arm 56. It will therefore be obvious that myspreader may be easily adapted to fit in a limited space and may besuited for operation by a left-handed or righthanded person, and thetires may be mounted in place from either side of the device where it ismost convenient.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my tire spreader, and while I haveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out myinvention, and that obvious changes may be made Within the scope of thefollowing claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a tire spreader, a frame, substantially horizontally extendingrods, sleeves thereon 10ngitudinally slidable relative to said rods forslidably supporting a tire casing to slide longitudinally of said rods,a pair of hooks pivoted along fixed axes to one end of said frameengageable with one side of the tire casing, arms pivoted to the otherend of said frame, hooks pivotedto said arms engage-able with the otherside of said tire casing, and means for pivoting said arms for spreadingsaid casing.

2. In a tire spreader, a supporting frame, end posts on one end thereoffixed in substantially vertical position, hook mean pivotally secured tosaid end posts engageable with one side of a tire casing, end posts onthe other end of said frame pivoted near their lower end to said frame,hook means pivotally secured to the upper extremity of said last namedend posts engageable with the other side of a tire casing, and acylinder and piston assembly including a cylinder pivoted to said frameand a piston pivotally connected to said pivoted end posts for pivotingsaid last named end posts to spread said casing.

3. In a tire spreader, a supporting frame, hook means pivoted to one endof said frame engageable with one side of a tire casing, arm meanspivoted near the bottom of said frame to said frame, hook means pivotedto said arm means near the top of the same engageable with the otherside of the tire casing, and expandable means supported by, and directlyconnecting said frame and arm means and suspended therebetween to pivotsaid arm means to spread a tire casing engaged by said hooks.

4. In a tire spreader, a supporting frame, hook means pivoted to one endof said frame engageable with one side of a tire casing, arm meanspivoted at one end to the other end of said frame, hook means on theother end of said arm means engageable with the other side of a tirecasing, and means for pivoting said arm means to spread a tire casingengaged by said hooks, said pivoting means comprising a cylindercontaining a piston and piston rod, and means pivotally connecting saidcylinder, piston, and rod to said frame and to said arm means, saidcylinder, piston, and rod extending between said frame and arm means.

5. In a tire spreader, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel rods,rotatable sleeves on said rods longitudinally slidable with respect tosaid frame upon which a tire may rest, hook means pivotally secured nearone end of said rods to said frame engageable with one side of saidtire, means on said frame swingable away from said hook means, hookmeans pivotally secured near the other ends of said rods to saidswingable means engageable with the other side of a tire, and meansengaging said swingable means for swinging the same away from said firstnamed hook means spreading said hook means apart to spread the tiresupported upon said sleeves.

6. In a tire spreader, a frame including a pair of spaced parallelsubstantially horizontal rods, rotatably and longitudinally slidablesleeves on said rods, hook means pivoted to said frame adjacent each endof said rods each engageable with one side of a tire casing, and meansmoving said hook means away from one another to spread and to slidelongitudinally of said rods a tire casing supported on said sleeves.

7. In a tire spreader, an upright frame, relatively pivotal members onsaid frame pivoted near the bottom thereof, hook ends on the upper endsof said member engageable with opposite sides of a tire casing, andmeans for relatively pivoting said members comprising a cylinder pivotedto one of said relatively pivotal members, a piston in said cylinder,and a piston rod on said piston pivotally secured to the other of saidrelatively pivotal members.

8. In a tire spreader, a frame, end post means thereon at one endthereof, end post means pivoted to said frame at the other end thereof,means pivoting said pivoted end post means away from said first namedend post means, hooks on said end post means engageable with oppositesides of a tire casing, spaced parallel rods extending between saidfirst end post means and said pivoted end posts, said rods secured infixed relation to one of said end post means, and 1ongitudinallyslidable sleeves on said rods upon which a tire casing may rest whilebeing spread by said hooks.

9. In a tire spreader, a frame, two pairs of relatively pivotal endposts on said frame swingable apart, end members telescopically securedto the upper ends of said end posts, said end members connected by across member to operate in unison therewith, hook means pivotallysecured to said end members engageable with opposite sides of a tirecasing, and means for pivoting said pairs of end posts apart to spread atire.

19. In a tire spreader, a frame, hollow end posts on one end of saidframe rigidly connected thereto, a pair of hollow end posts pivotallysecured to the other end of said frame near the bottom thereof, endmembers telescopically engaging the upper ends of all said hollow endposts, said end members connected by a cross member to operate in unisontherewith, hook means on said end members engageable with opposite sidesof a tir casing, and means pivoting said pivotally secured end postsaway from said rigidly connected end posts to spread a tire.

11. In a tire spreader, a frame for supporting a tire while it isspread, and a lift for said spreader, said lift comprising a sleevepivoted to said frame, a casing supporting plate on said sleeve, ahandle rod, said handle rod extending through said sleeve, said handlerod adapted to contact the floor at various distances from said frame,and said handle rod adapted to fit into one of the tubular front legs ofsaid frame to hold said lift in a vertical position to said frame whennot in use.

CHARLES E. BRANICK.

